Todd Blanche Wins Crucial Senate Committee Vote, Advances Toward Confirmation As US Attorney General

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's close aide, moved a step closer to becoming the next US attorney general on Tuesday (4 August) after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination in a narrow party-line vote.

The decision came after Todd Blanche provided written assurances that a controversial $1.8 billion fund linked to President Donald Trump 's settlement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would not proceed, helping secure the backing of two Republican senators who had raised objections.

The committee voted 12-10 to advance Blanche's nomination, sending it to the full US Senate where he is widely expected to secure confirmation despite continued Democratic opposition.

Republican concerns eased after Blanche scraps controversial fund

Todd Blanche 's nomination had faced unexpected resistance from Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who questioned the Department of Justice's role in a proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund established as part of a settlement resolving Trump's lawsuit against the IRS.

The lawsuit followed the leak of Trump's confidential tax records by a former IRS contractor, who has been serving a prison sentence since 2024.

The proposed fund, valued at approximately $1.8 billion, drew criticism after opponents argued it could become a taxpayer-funded compensation programme benefiting Trump's political allies, including some defendants linked to the 6 January Capitol riot.

To address those concerns, Blanche signed an order rescinding the fund. In the document released on Sunday, he stated that the programme had never become operational, noting that no governing board had been appointed, no funds had been distributed and no claims had been processed.

Separately, the Department of Justice clarified that a related agreement concerning tax protections applied only to the original plaintiffs in the IRS settlement and did not grant blanket immunity to Trump or his family from future tax audits.

MENAFN04082026007365015876ID1111487668